Budget-Friendly Stuffed Peppers - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup red or brown lentils
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 small bell peppers (any color or assorted colors)
- ½ cup low sodium, fat-free chicken broth (gluten-free)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add lentils, water, ginger, garlic and turmeric to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- While lentils are cooking, mix ground chicken, cilantro, salt (optional), ground black pepper and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Cut the tops off of the peppers and cut out seed pod (save the tops). Clean out the ribs and any seeds from the inside of the peppers and line the peppers cut side up in a baking dish. Set the tops off to the side. (Note: If the peppers won’t sit upright, trim just a little bit off the bottom of the peppers to even it out so it will sit up straight. Try not to cut a hole in the bottom so the mixture inside does not fall out).
- Once the lentils have cooled, stir them in to the chicken mixture and mix well to incorporate.
- Fill each pepper with the chicken and lentil mixture but do not pack the mixture in tightly. Just gently fill to the top.
- Place each pepper top back on to the peppers filled with the chicken and lentil mixture, then pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken mixture is 165 degrees.
- Cost of recipe: $7.56
- Side Suggestion: Serve with a steamer bag of broccoli florets. Adding a vegetable side increases the cost of this meal to $9.95 - still less than $10 for 6 servings!
- MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Ensure the ingredients you are using are gluten-free and this recipe can be gluten-free.
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Budget-Friendly Stuffed Peppers contribute to your health goals:
- Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
- Lentil: Fiber helps slow glucose absorption, reducing insulin spikes
- Turmeric: Research suggests curcumin may improve insulin resistance in PCOS
- Ginger: May help reduce menstrual pain and inflammation in PCOS
- Garlic: May help reduce cholesterol levels often elevated in PCOS
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and anti-inflammatory spices that target the chronic inflammation underlying PCOS. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Budget-Friendly Stuffed Peppers can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
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